


a sort of tender curiosity

by slaapkat



Category: Green Lantern (Comics), Green Lantern - All Media Types
Genre: 1920s, Alternate Universe - 1920s, Alternate Universe - Prohibition Era, Gen, Hal has shell shock, M/M, Panic Attacks, Post-World War I, Sinestro cares deep down he just won't admit it, gratuitous comparisons to The Great Gatsby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-02 09:51:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19196461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slaapkat/pseuds/slaapkat
Summary: "And what might you be doing up here, all alone?”Hal’s head snaps up at the sudden appearance of Sinestro’s voice, the whole of him jolting up in surprise from where it had been leaning against the balcony railing. Sinestro simply smiles in self-satisfied amusement, extending forward a slim champagne flute held in his hand which Hal tentatively takes after a moment’s hesitation; the party thrown in celebration of the wrapping of Sinestro’s latest film barrels on in the courtyard below.(a 1920's AU in which Sinestro is a famous silent film actor, and Hal is a hotshot pilot trying his luck in movies after wwi)





	a sort of tender curiosity

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally meant as a drabble to try to get my butt into gear with a larger halsin fic I have in the works, but I ended up liking it enough to post here.  
> It's something [ufonaut](https://ufonaut.tumblr.com/) and I came up with while discussing how to make a "modern" halsin AU work. I know the 1920's isn't TECHNICALLY modern but we ended up falling in love with the concept hard and fast.  
> Basically:  
> -Hal was a pilot in WWI and goes into movies after the war  
> -Sinestro is a silent film actor who (eventually) turns evil after talkies happen  
> There's more to it, of course, and if I ever happen to make more for this AU then I'll add to it as it becomes relevant. 
> 
> Here's the [fan art](https://ufonaut.tumblr.com/post/185299295188/ufonaut-slaapkat-i-came-to-the-conclusion) by @ufonaut that started it all, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> For the drabble prompt: "silent film au hal has his first ptsd related Moment in front of monsieur sinestro"

"And what might you be doing up here, all alone?”

Hal’s head snaps up at the sudden appearance of Sinestro’s voice, the whole of him jolting up in surprise from where it had been leaning against the balcony railing. Sinestro simply smiles in self-satisfied amusement, extending forward a slim champagne flute held in his hand which Hal tentatively takes after a moment’s hesitation; the party thrown in celebration of the wrapping of Sinestro’s latest film barrels on in the courtyard below.

“Well?” Sinestro presses, eyebrows raised as he sips from his own flute. He’d noticed Hal slink off from the main party earlier, dodging attempts at conversation from anyone who approached. It rubbed Sinestro the wrong way for two reasons: one, it was denying others the opportunity to enthuse about him and his film, which was the entire point of these silly little parties, and two, the other point of said silly parties was to show off, which Sinestro could not do if Hal chose not to participate. It was with a pouting little sniff that Sinestro had grabbed another drink to follow after his yet-to-be-accepted costar. 

(The producers may have thrust this hotshot pilot and wannabe actor on an unwilling Sinestro, but it didn’t mean Sinestro had to  _ like  _ him. Simultaneously, said dislike didn’t mean Sinestro couldn’t use every opportunity to remind Hal of his obvious superiority.)

Hal doesn’t answer straight away, shrugging as he sips disinterestedly from the offered champagne flute. “Oh, ah,” he makes a noncommittal noise, glancing over the party below. “Just got a little busy for me, is all. Needed some quiet.”

Sinestro wants to scoff in disbelief, and settles for rolling his eyes instead. Hal Jordan, needing peace and quiet? The man was a whole other story on set, boisterous and loud and attracting attention to him at all times, cracking jokes and barking laughter-- all the while detracting deserving attention from  _ Sinestro _ , surely a serious crime.

“I find that hard to believe,” Sinestro intones politely, sidling up casually next to Hal. “Come now, Jordan. I’ve gone to great lengths to acquire all this wonderful alcohol despite your country’s frankly  _ ridiculous  _ prohibition. You could at least pretend to enjoy it.”

That earns him a chuckle on Hal’s part, which Sinestro greedily accepts. He may not  _ like  _ this Hal Jordan, but that didn’t mean he would spurn that sweet, sweet validation. Attention was attention, after all. 

A loud boom interrupts whatever Hal was going to say next, who freezes in the face of the bright flash which accompanies it, unnoticed by Sinestro.

“Ah! Marvelous,” says Sinestro with an easy, pleased smile, turning towards the source of noise. Another light streaks into the sky, exploding with a burst of color and thunder, inspiring another round of elated screams and delighted shouts. Several more followed, painting the courtyard with colorful, strobing flashes. “I see the fireworks are going off without a hitch. You know, I had to import the purple ones all the way from--”

He’s already preening in anticipation of the awe and wonder he’s come to expect in response to his shows of wealth and superiority, only to be cut off when he looks back at Hal. Sinestro’s smile falls.

Hal had blanched, face gone entirely pale, eyes unfocused and despondent as he stares off into the middle distance, a white-knuckled grip on the champagne flute Sinestro had handed him earlier, barely drunk. 

“Jordan?” Sinestro ventures, faintly annoyed at being denied the attention he’d been angling for. It’s a feeling quickly replaced by puzzled concern when he sees the fear taking root in Hal’s eyes. Sinestro tilts his head, eyes narrowing. Was he missing something? “...Hal?”

Another firework goes off, popping loud and sharp in their ears, and Hal flinches bodily, the flute slipping from his fingers and shattering on the concrete of the balcony. The crash snaps him back to the present, a strangled noise caught in his throat.

“Oh, shit,” Hal says, somewhat halfheartedly, delayed in his reaction. His eyes darted around, searching for escape, still not quite all there. “God, um. I’m-- sorry. You can, like, take that from my next check, or whatever.”

“Jordan,” says Sinestro, slow, still unsure of what, exactly, was happening. They were only fireworks, weren’t they? Not to mention, it was only one measly champagne flute; he no doubt likely broke dozens of them every time he threw these little parties. It was nothing to get upset about. “It’s no problem, I have a great many more. Are… you alright?”

Another firework goes off, interrupting him. Hal’s eyes bug out and he chokes on something unseen. 

“Listen, I-- I gotta go,” Hal says quickly, backing up towards the balcony door. His smile is tight and pained, clearly forced and plainly desperate, sweat beading at his temples. “Swell party! Really quite the shindig. I’m impressed. I just--” He swallows thickly, struggling with the doorknob as Sinestro looked on in pensive silence. “I’ll see you later, yeah?  _ Swell  _ party. This was great, thank you for inviting me. Can’t wait for the next film.”

And with that, Hal finally manages to wrestle the door back open, leaving it ajar in his haste to escape whatever threat seemed to exist only in his eyes, invisible to Sinestro. He’s left there, alone, quietly deliberating what had transpired. 

A firework bursts in the sky behind him, light catching on the shattered glass of the champagne flute at his feet. The screams rise up again, but Sinestro finds it unexpectedly difficult to find the same joy in it all, the sound, for a split second taking on a more sinister note.

It passes just as quickly. Sinestro leans against the balcony railing, pensive as he watches the revelry below. Hal’s reaction to the fireworks dwelled on his mind, settling heavily in his thoughts and refusing to leave. He’d disliked Hal, before, annoyed by the mere concept of a man presuming to take the place of his closest friend and costar Abin Sur, for having the  _ gall  _ to be given the privilege of being allowed to return home from the war, a privilege so callously denied to Abin as well as his sister and Sinestro’s wife, Arin, the only woman whom Sinestro had ever loved.

Now-- Sinestro wasn’t so sure. 

It left him curious. For a man so boisterous on the set, yet so reserved when around throngs of people, Hal was suddenly an enigma in Sinestro’s eyes, one that interested him greatly. He knew the war had been no cakewalk, obviously, but the manner in which Hal had so proudly boasted of his piloting feats, his claims of being a  _ flying ace _ unmatched by any other-- it did not correlate with the reaction of fear and panic Sinestro had just witnessed. 

He would have to find out more, Sinestro decides with finality, and absently makes a mental note to cancel the fireworks shipment for his next party.

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from a Great Gatsby quote.
> 
> I'm [slaapkat](https://slaapkat.tumblr.com/) on tumblr! feel free to send any asks! :)


End file.
